THE POLICE have booked two persons — a 34-year-old Ukrainian national and a priest at an ashram in Mathura — for allegedly shooting dead 11 monkeys with an airgun. Police said the Ukrainian national had been staying at the ashram with the priest.
A panel of doctors conducted the postmortem of the monkeys and the report is awaited, said Additional Superintendent of Police, Trigun Bisen. A case has been registered at the Govardhan police station in Mathura.
“We have detained the Ukrainian national, Igrom, who claims that he has assumed the name Brij Sunder Das, for questioning. Charge under breach of peace has also been invoked against him,” said the Station House Officer of Govardhan police station. Police added that the ashram priest, identified only as ‘Jankidas’, is on the run.
The SHO said during questioning, Igrom claimed that the monkeys were causing frequent trouble at the ashram and that he had used an airgun “only to scare them away.”
He added that Igrom has been visiting India regularly for over a decade. “This time, he came on a one-year work visa in July last year,” the SHO said.
According to police, on Monday, a resident of Anyaur village, Madhav, filed an FIR alleging that the ashram priest and the foreign national were shooting monkeys in the area. The complainant also claimed that when local residents objected, the two hurled abuses and threatened them with dire consequences.
A police team reached the ashram later the same day and sent the carcasses of 11 monkeys found near the spot for postmortem.
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A case was filed under BNS section 325 (Mischief by killing or maiming animal), 351 (criminal intimidation) at the Govardhan police station. The police also invoked Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against the two.
Following the death of the monkeys, some residents of the area staged a protest and demanded action in the matter.
Police said the ashram — known as Mahant Janki Das temple — is located in the Govardhan area.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
